Details of Cars

Tatra 75: the last front-engined Tatra car

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Tatra 75 in the Kopřivnice museum
A Tatra 75 in the Tatra museum at Kopřivnice. Photo by Hakjosef, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Tatra 75 is a Czechoslovak mid-size car that Tatra introduced in 1933 as the successor to the Tatra 54. It was the marque’s last front-engined car, and after nine years of production it was eventually replaced by the radically different rear-engined Tatra 600.

Tatra 75 at a glance

Tatra 75 key facts
Maker Tatra, Kopřivnice, Czechoslovakia
Introduced 1933
Predecessor Tatra 54
Successor Tatra 600 (1947)
Layout front engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine 1,688 cc air-cooled OHV flat four
Power 30 PS (22 kW)
Top speed 90 km/h
Fuel consumption 12–13 litres per 100 km
Gearbox four speeds
Bodies two- and four-door sedans and convertibles, six-seat limousine
Built 4,501

History of the Tatra 75

Design

The Tatra 75 was introduced in 1933 as the successor to the Tatra 54. Its front-mounted 1,688 cc air-cooled overhead-valve boxer engine produced 30 PS (22 kW), enough for a top speed of 90 km/h and fuel consumption of 12 or 13 litres per 100 km. Attention was paid to weight reduction, with light alloy used for the cylinder head castings. In common with other Tatras of the time, the car had a four-speed gearbox and rear-wheel drive.

1935 Tatra 75 Bohemia cabriolet
A 1935 Tatra 75 Bohemia cabriolet at the Classic-Gala 2021. Photo by Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Bodies and the Sport

The car was offered with a range of bodies including two- and four-door sedans and convertibles and a six-seat limousine on a longer wheelbase. Three Tatra 75 Sport roadsters were built by Bohemia in the 1930s; these were three-seat vehicles based on the 75 chassis.

Place in the range

In its nine-year production run 4,501 Tatra 75s were built. The model was Tatra’s last front-engined car: after the Second World War, in 1947, it was belatedly replaced by the radically different Tatra 600 with its rear-mounted engine and aerodynamic monocoque body. The 75’s conventional grille and front engine therefore mark the end of one Tatra tradition and the beginning of another.

Design and features

  • Last front-engined Tatra: after the 75 the marque moved its engines to the rear.
  • Air-cooled flat four: 1,688 cc and 30 PS.
  • Light alloy cylinder heads: part of the effort to keep weight down.
  • Long-wheelbase limousine: a six-seat body alongside the smaller cars.

Tatra 75 versions

  • Two-door sedan and convertible: the smaller bodies.
  • Four-door sedan and convertible: family versions.
  • Six-seat limousine: longer wheelbase.
  • Tatra 75 Sport: three Bohemia-built roadsters.

The 75 shared its body style with the Tatra 52 and was eventually replaced by the Tatra 600. More pre-war cars are in the Tatra collection.

Video: Tatra 75 jazda

Video by VzduchomChladeny on YouTube.

Sources

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